


Not fit to be a Captain

by CumberRachel



Series: Recovery is like falling, only backwards [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Tower, Clint Is a Good Bro, Clint is a nerd, Feels, Fluff, Harry Potter References, Hurt Steve, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Protective Jarvis, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Snarky Jarvis, Team Bonding, Tony Stark Has A Heart, the avengers stage an intervention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 21:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3463034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CumberRachel/pseuds/CumberRachel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After finding out his best friend has been following him, Steve kinda breaks. </p><p>In other words: Steve needs a hug and the team really care about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not fit to be a Captain

**Author's Note:**

> Steve's point of view, yay! The next one will be as well, or maybe half, depending on what people prefer.

_He ran... Why would he run_? Was the only thought that Steve was capable of, slowing to a stop, sweat trickling down his temple, his mind swimming as he watched the assassin blend into the forest. It was then that he realised the number of people watching him, after all, Captain America had just called out the name of his meant-to-be-dead best friend. Anyone who'd visited his exhibit would know who Bucky was to him. "Captain America, sir?" A small boy asked, tugging against his mothers hand. The boy had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, just like Steve, he was wearing a shirt that sported his shield. He was looking up at Steve with tears pooling, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly at seeing his hero falter in such a way.

The good soldier opened his mouth and closed it twice, realising he had nothing he could say and opting for running away instead: everything the soldier inside screamed at him not to do. Turning and bolting at full speed back to the relative safety of the tower, Steve was greeted by JARVIS, the top human AI. "Captain Rogers, you have returned earlier than usual, is there a requirement to assemble?" He enquired, tone mildly worried, already taking Steve up to the common floor. Steve shook his head swiftly, this was in no way an invasion and he didn't want the rest of the team knowing what had happened. "No, Jarvis, it's- not a problem. My floor please." He panted, his lungs taking back what they had been deprived of. "As you say, captain" the AI responded, his accent never failing to remind Steve of Peggy, the faint reminiscent twang of pain he felt in his gut, reminding him he was in the wrong era. Then again, so was Bucky, and he didn't have five other people to ease him in gently.

Since Tony had 'welcomed' his fellow Avengers into his home, things had begun to smooth out and calm down. Steve had learned how to use mainstream technology: smart phones, tablets, even the touchscreen tables Tony loved so much. Nothing like Stark uses, though, but then only about 1 hundred people know how to use the technology Tony does. Having mastered 'simple' technology, Steve was able to bring himself up-to-date without any assistance. He was in the mid 1990's when SHIELD collapsed and Hydra tried to wipe 2 million people from the planet. And that's how Sam became part of The Avengers, and also how he was roped into the: 'get Steve to stop moping like a twelve year old girl' scheme, at least that's what Tony called it.

The only way Sam managed to get Steve out of the tower was by running with him daily, going halfway with Steve before letting him go off on his own. This had worked for two weeks, which brought Steve back to now. Panting and shaking in the elevator, which he suspected was going slower than usual. "Would you like me alert Mr Wilson of your current state?" Jarvis asked, stopping the elevator at his floor, opening the doors for Steve to stumble out of. "N-no, Jarvis, it's fine, cut visual and audio." He stuttered, staggering over to his fridge and pulling out a bottle of water, poring it down his throat in the hopes to quell the nausea building up in his abdomen. "Done captain." Jarvis says, and Steve swears he hears reluctance in his voice, the AI was more human than robot on occasion.

* * *

Three weeks of Steve refusing to leave his floor or talk to anyone was all it took before the team staged an intervention. It was Friday afternoon, around 4:30, when Tony waltzed out of the elevator. "Jarvis!" He whined, flinging his arm off his eyes. "My apologies captain. Mr Stark has free reign of the tower, I did inform him of your wishes however, as I'm sure you are aware, Mr Stark does not often take notice of my instruction." Steve groaned and sat up, giving Tony a tired glare. The man himself had his arms crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raised as he looked to the ceiling. "Now, now Jarvis, you know that's not true, this wasn't my idea, I just happen to be the only one with the authority to drag Capsicle's sorry ass out of his pit of despair. Up you get Spangles, go and get a shower. Movie night." He barrelled on, switching from one subject to another as swiftly as ever. Steve sighed and lay back down, "we don't have a movie night," he grumbled, jumping up and off the sofa when the wall behind him whirred into life; showing the rest of the team, including Thor, making nibbles at the bar of the communal floor, Sam's face taking up half the screen. "We do now. Come on Cap, we miss your pretty face." He said, earning a collective wave from the rest of the team. They were all smiling but he could see worry etched onto their faces, even Tony's eyes betrayed hints of concern for his leader. Steve sighed and hung his head, he didn't even consider how this might be affecting them, _selfish of you,_ his brain supplied. "Are you going to try and force me outside?" He asked, rubbing his tiered eyes. Sam gave him a small smile, "not at all, we just want to see you outside of your floor." He smiled, shrugging, "besides, I've not been able to run half as far without you pushing me." He added, face falling into a more stern expression, squaring his shoulders. "Put it this way, if you won't join us we will join you and have movie night on your floor." He threatened, causing Steve to give Tony a pleading look. Tony just shook his head, he was more serious than Steve had ever seen him, even with his hands tucked away so casually in his pockets. "Sorry Steve, but I'm not stopping them, we don't know what happened, well we have an idea thanks to social media, but it's clearly horrendously bad if you locked yourself away for three weeks. Just-" Tony paused, sighing and rolling his shoulders, "humour us?" He asked, his brown eyes lacking any teasing or mocking, more ernest than Steve believed Tony was capable of. That and the fact that this was the first time Tony had called him by his actual name was what convinced him. Nodding once, Steve turned in the direction of his bathroom, "I'll be up in ten." He mumbled, shrugging his shirt off. "Great, I'll wait 'til your done." Tony said, flipping down on the massive sofa Steve had just vacated, all the bravado and sarcasm back in his voice, though it held more conviction, as though he wasn't giving Steve any leeway. The soldier just sighed again, subconsciously resenting the lack of trust his team currently had in him.

* * *

 

"There's a third one?" Tony whined, resting his head back on the arm of the sofa, his legs resting over Steve and Natasha, creating an effective barrier that Steve could easily get past, but didn't, deciding to respect his teams efforts to keep him there. "Dude, it's HP, there's 8 of these bad boys." Clint chided, taking 'The Chamber of Secrets' out and putting 'The Prisoner of Azkaban' in. As it turned out, Clint was a bit of a nerd and was forcing everyone into watching the 'Harry Potter' series, all Steve had gathered was that teenage wizard, who didn't know he was a wizard, goes to a school for witchcraft and wizardry and learns spells and shit. Whilst this is going on he finds out he is wanted dead by the most notorious wizard in history. Steve really hadn't been paying enough attention to tell you more. They were out of snacks though, so Natasha pushed Tony's legs off her lap, using so much force he fell to the floor with an "oooff". Apparently this meant Steve was allowed to get up, he really wanted to leave, return to his flat and do anything but sit surrounded by people who were relying on him to be their leader.

"And where do you think you're going?" A strong hand pressed against his chest, the voice coming from behind him. Steve hadn't even realised he was heading toward the elevator door when Clint stopped him. "Toilet?" He said, going for strength and certainty but ending up as questioning. Clint turned Steve's shoulders so he was facing the corridor that led toward the actual bathroom. "Come on then." He said cheerfully, pushing him gently in that general direction. Thankfully he didn't join him and Steve did in fact need to pee so he didn't need to estimate the time he needed to spend doing nothing. "Don't go running off okay? The third one is one of the best." Clint said flippantly when he emerged, Steve could easily pick out the underlying concern, the double meaning the words held: 'we're here for you, we want to help.' Too bad Steve didn't know how they could help, he would have asked by now if he did.

So there Steve sat, trapped under the barrier that was Tony's legs, watching a film he didn't understand or particularly care about. Poor Harry had a dog as a god father and his teacher was a werwolf, oh and they guy he thought was his dad turned out to be himself who traveled back in time. As much as he wanted to pay attention, Steve found that his eyelids gradually became heavier, herder to open. Slumping down, Steve rested his head against the back of the plush sofa, oddly more comfortable than he had been in weeks, maybe the social interaction had done him some good after all. Within seconds Steve had dropped off into a peaceful slumber.


End file.
